The advantage isn’t large, but it is statistically significant: The researchers found the ruling, in Citizens United v. FEC, was associated with a six percentage-point increase in the likelihood that a Republican candidate would win a state legislative race.

And in six of the most affected states — Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee — the probability that a Republican would be elected to a state legislative seat increased by 10 percentage points or more.

In five other states — Colorado, Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming — Republican candidates were seven percentage points more likely to win.

The findings of the study are significant because it debunks the claim of Republicans that Citizens United is not influencing the outcomes of elections. State legislative races are fertile ground for right-wing big spenders because state legislatures have a big influence on policy, and they draw the congressional district maps every ten years.

The wave of voter suppression and anti-choice legislation is coming from Republican run state legislatures that were backed by Citizens United money. The movement to destroy public sector unions is being pushed by the unlimited dark money that was legalized in the Citizens United decision.

The model for what the Koch brothers and other right-wing billionaires and organizations want to do to the federal government can be found in state legislatures all across the country. Republicans and their billionaires haven’t figured out how to make Citizens United money work in Senate and presidential elections yet, but they are working on it.

The Republican claim that the billionaire dollars are just free speech is not true. The millions of ad dollars spent by the right-wing interests in state legislative elections pay immediate dividends. The flood of negative ads gives Republicans a substantial advantage in elections where the Democratic candidate is underfunded and largely unknown.

The threat to our elections and representative democracy is real, and this study shows why repealing Citizens United should be a top priority for Americans who wants their government back.

Study Blows The Lid Off The GOP’s Big Lie By Revealing Citizens United Helps Republicans Win was written by Jason Easley for PoliticusUSA.

Nancy Pelosi Debunks John Boehner’s 40 Jobs Bills Myth Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) office has been putting out fact sheets on the Boehner jobs bills, and lo and behold, it's true. They aren't jobs bills, which is sort of a duh moment because if Republicans wanted jobs they would have passed President Obama's fully paid for American Jobs Act after making adjustments to it.

17 Responses to Study Blows The Lid Off The GOP’s Big Lie By Revealing Citizens United Helps Republicans Win

Dustin

Mon, Sep 1st, 2014 at 1:54 pm

There’s the proof. What more needs to be said then we should head out and vote for our Democrat allies. The ‘take back’ of this country has to start somewhere, and it’ll start on the votes of people like me and the many other people who come here on a daily basis because they believe in this country. We all believe that the United States of America is a great land… but to truly make it better for all of us, we must vote and begin to fight back against those who hate America and what it stands for.

Surprised

Sat, Sep 6th, 2014 at 8:35 pm

Why do these articles against Citizens United never mention the groups that are radically liberal and funded by George Soros, or the millions from the reformed environmentalist Tom Stayer and his brother. Their are other Billionaire liberals that are pumping lots of dark money toward liberal Democrats. I link the term Liberal with Democrats since that is what they are. Folks can decide where their political beliefs fall and vote that way, just don’t “fog” the field with lies and propaganda.

djchefron

Sat, Sep 6th, 2014 at 8:53 pm

Show us where Soros used his money to influence AMERICAN elections? If not then you are a dumbass

Shiva

Sat, Sep 6th, 2014 at 9:49 pm

Soros does not fund radical groups. A radical group is like the tea thugs. The Dems do not have anything like that. They are not desperate enough

Derrick

Mon, Sep 1st, 2014 at 2:09 pm

$$$=Speech.
Corporations=Persons.
We=Doomed.

Raymond Smith

Mon, Sep 1st, 2014 at 2:15 pm

There needs to be a movement to have all vote for Democratic Party members. Then when the TPGOPers are out of office we can repeal Citizens United.
But that is just the start of things that need to be corrected. The Supreme Court currently is dysfunctional via Conservative Active court members. To correct this there needs to be immediate action taken,to Impeach the members of the Supreme Court that pushed Citizens United.
These two things need to happen ASAP for the true Patriotic Citizens that love this country. To bring it back to it’s once great standing. After these two actions are done we can make America what it should be again. A country where all that live in it have the right to vote, regardless of sex,race and age.
It is far past time to TAKE AMERICA BACK from the TPGOP Domestic Terrorists that are trying to destroy this country.
ALL need to VOTE!!

Maxie2014

Mon, Sep 1st, 2014 at 2:55 pm

That’s why we need to vote in 8 weeks. It’s not just the federal level. but the state level, too.

We have to get these Koch suckers out of office on all levels.

Labman57

Mon, Sep 1st, 2014 at 3:26 pm

Response of the conservative majority on the SCOTUS:
“Mission accomplished!”

bebe

Mon, Sep 1st, 2014 at 5:40 pm

GOP is nothing but lies and corruption.

Judy

Tue, Sep 2nd, 2014 at 6:22 am

Sadly too many people are so out of touch with reality that they don’t see how they are losing everything. They vote against their own best interest.

ThumperNM

Tue, Sep 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 pm

There is a great book called “What’s the Matter with Kansas that really goes into great detail about how so many people vote against their own economic well being. It was written by Thomas Franks.

It is a well written book and it helped me to hone my discussions with my right wing friends.

Joan

Tue, Sep 2nd, 2014 at 8:11 am

I urge everyone to read the breakdown (on KOS)
of the hundreds of millions of dollars the rethugs have wasted on basically nothing, with frivolous hearings, lawsuits, and stopping progress.

James M. Martin

Tue, Sep 2nd, 2014 at 9:17 am

You’re surprised? The “People” have spoken.

Joseph P. Uhl

Tue, Sep 2nd, 2014 at 1:30 pm

No matter how much or how loudly the Republican/Conservatives crow about “Freedom” and ” Liberty” they hate them both because they are the antithesis of the Theocratic Oligarchy that IS the Reich Wing agenda. They are the National Socialist Workers Party of this century.

Anne B.

Wed, Sep 3rd, 2014 at 1:05 pm

The American people are not as “stupid” as the TGOP thinks we are! We need to show up at the polling locations to show them how smart we are!

William

Thu, Sep 4th, 2014 at 12:34 am

I don’t have my files here in front of me and can’t think of the Supreme Court cases that say that “spending unlimited amounts of money is Free Speech.” Several years ago I thought of filing an Amicus Brief on that very topic given this scenario:

I was helping to run a statewide campaign and the other candidate had lots more money (millions—and the family had billions). They had reserved every 6 & 10 o’clock news show commercial for the last two weeks of the campaign on the station with the highest ratings (with running a very negative ad series). This was like with three months left in the campaign. Effectively blocking our Free Speech and assumed right of rebuttal.

The commercials were basically all lies with the very smallest element of truth in them. They were absolutely scandalous and made our candidate look like if they were in the grocery store with you they might steal or pull a gun. In other words, it would be unsafe to be with our candidate in public …

Paul Devine

Sat, Sep 6th, 2014 at 9:51 pm

The day of party politics is behind us. The day of the independent voter is here.